In Ponyville, it was hot. The sun beat down on everypony just as strong each day as Vanilla Swirls' gateway to hapiness because a reality. He watched as the old building became new again, peeling paint scraped off, old wood coated in fresh lacquer, the glass cleaned to perfection. Vanilla Swirl could feel the ease on his shoulders, the lightness of freedom and the hope of finding himself again in the Ponyville ice cream shop. Soon, the floors were in place and polished, the freezers cold, the ice cream made: his shop was ready, and so was he. Vanilla Swirl would have the biggest and best grand opening known to Equestria. He laid in bed for weeks, planning everything down to a T. He wanted his ice cream shop to be one if nostalgia, old fashioned and homey for the extra friendly residents of Ponyville. He bouht the supplies he needed, placing balloons and banners, flyers and coupons for his big day, he even wore his old uniform a deep sky blue, short-sleeved, polo dress shirt with lighter hued stripes, and powder blue undershirt, a royal blue white polka dotted bow tie, and on top of his head a paper with a band matching his tie, he was was not simply the opening of a new ice cream shop, this was personal, this was the rebirth of Vanilla Swirl, the beginning of his new-old-self. "Hey whatcha doin'?" Vanilla jumped startled by the pink mare that sprang out of nowhere. He smirked, taking half a step closer to her and goofily chuckling. "Pinkie? Is that you? My goodness, you haven't aged a day!" Vanilla Swirl dropped his supplies, rushing forward and wrapping her up in a big hug. "How are you? It's so incredible to see you again!" Pinkie smiled big and wide eyed
"OH MY GOSH! You're Vanilla Swirl. Mychildhoodfriendfrombackontherockfarm!" She said excitedly jumping in his grip.
Vanilla Swirl nodded, chuckling while holding her shoulders to keep her still long enough to make she contact.
"You didn't lose any of your energy either, and I couldn't be happier for it!" Pinkie Pie blushed, waiving a hoof at him kindly.
"I'm here in Ponyville for something so amazing, I'm opeinf a new ice cream shop! And I'm going to run it, personally! I'm getting ready for the grandest grand opeinf ever! Pinkie gasped her really superduper surprised GASP.
"GRAND OPENING YOU, MEAN A GRAND PARTY!"
Ponies came from their homes, their eyes locking onto the spectacle near the center of Ponyville. There, was a beautiful shop, composed of fresh paint and awnings that the sun had yet to fade. Inside, through clean glass windows, was the ice cream counter. Their air smelt like cookies and was cold, a rainbow of colored tubs sitting in wait for the warm ice cream scoop. Ponies had lined up around the block, waiting patiently for the door to open and the fun to begin. Balloons hung around the building, plump and colorfully attracting more and more attention as the evening progressed. Vanilla Swirl looked outside, smiling at the sight of one of the largest lines he'd ever seen. "Here we go, my first Ponyville customer." Vanilla Swirl opened the door, the hell above chiming while the many waiting ponies jeered happily. "Pinkie? What're you..." She hugged him quickly, immediately going inside as the line began to move forward. The stallion took his place behind the counter, watching her face light up as she scanned th many flavors.
"I knew you were opening, so I had to be first!" He smiled, picking up his scoop readily. "What would my first customer like?" Pinkie Pie tapped her chin, thinking. She shrugged, looking up at him excitedly. "There's so many delicious flavors, I'll have one of each!" Vanilla Swirl shook his head surprisedly, nodding with a smile before serving the mare.
"You got it." Vanilla levitated the scoop with his magic and taking a waffle cone with great dexterity stacked one scoop of every flavor from each tub on top and made a tower of ice cream.
He took a deep breath out, smiling at the mare. "Would you like any toppings, miss?" Pinkie Pie's jaw dropped, her eyes mesmerized as they scanned the toppings.
"I didn't know you also had toppings!" Vanilla Swirl smiled, giving the pink pony what she wanted and watching her go, then serving customer after customer as his line grew shorter. By the end of the night, all of his tubs were either nearly empty or completely desolate of ice cream. His toppings had also been well raided. The French vanilla cream coated pony set his ice cream scoop down, glowing with pride and a sense of accomplishment that he hadn't felt for a long time.
"I did it!" He jumped for joy, clacking his hooves together and humming happily as he closed his shop for the night and began cleaning the sticky counter. He then went back into the kitchen and began making more ice cream for the upcoming day. 'All those smiling faces, it's so wonderful to be doing this again' he thought as he prepared his signature flavors of frozen confection.
The stallion rubbed his tired eyes, looking to the clock and seeing that midnight had just barely passed by him. He smirked again, glad that he was truly working. He made his way to his bed, laying down and sighing happily before falling into the deepest and most peaceful sleep he'd had in a long time.